Fried spiders and pancakes with blood: unusual dishes around the world

Every culture has its own culinary traditions. While in Ukraine people like borsch or dumplings, in Japan or Africa they prefer various larvae or spiders. Today, FoodOboz editorial team shares a selection of the strangest dishes around the world.

Fried spiders (Cambodia)

Cambodians began to fry spiders out of hunger during the bloody Khmer Rouge rule. Vendors with trays full of palm-sized black tarantulas can often be found around the town of Skuon on the way from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh.

Wasp cookies (Japan)

A relatively new concept in Japanese cooking, wasp cookies have gained popularity in the 21st century. They are rice flour crackers filled with pre-boiled wild wasps. They differ from ordinary cookies by their record-breaking insect content.

Blood pancakes (Sweden, Finland)

These are basically regular pancakes but with fresh blood instead of milk. Sometimes served with fried pork or venison. In fact, this dish is more unexpected than horrifying, in essence and taste it is very close to blood sausage.

Mopane caterpillars (Africa)

The large green-blue caterpillars of the peacock-eyed butterfly are a valuable, and most importantly, free source of protein for people in many African countries. The caterpillars are collected from trees, boiled, and dried in the sun before being eaten. In South Africa, where mopane is considered a delicacy, they are grown on special farms and are often served even in restaurants.